Sick and Twisted
by EmilyTheSilentAssassin
Summary: ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST! Sara tries to make Grissom jealous with Nick but will she end up falling for Nick instead? (Formerly 'Didn't I See This on Days of Our Lives)
1. Sara loses it

**A/N**: Okay, this idea just POPPED out at me. It was begging to be written. In fact it's been bugging me for at least a week and it finally got its way. So, the basic theme is…Grissom fucked up…again. Nick was there for Sara…again. I think we all get the picture…again. Hey, later I might even throw in some Cath-Sara catfight-y angst-y bitchiness. It could be pretty fun. BTW, bubbeleh is girlie or child in Yiddish, oy is self-explanatory, and kvetch is to bitch, as is kvell.

Oh, and I don't own them.

**Rating**: PG-13 for some LANGUAGE in which Sara gives Grissom the verbal smackdown he so richly deserves.

**_Didn't I see this on Days of Our Lives?_** by Lowrider Angel

Chapter One: Can't take this shit no mo'

(Otherwise known as; **Sara loses it**)  
"Oh. My. God." Sara Sidle clenched her hands. "That man makes me so furious." Actually, _so furious _didn't even begin to cover it. _So furious_ was maybe a tenth of the way there. _Murderous_ was closer. _Homicidal _was almost there. _Ready to rip Grissom's testicles out with a pair of pliers_ was about as close as Sara figured she was gonna get.  
Sara was tired of Grissom's little fucked up push-and-pull game. Whenever Sara got too close, watch out, Grissom would push her away at speeds only seen by bullet trains. To far away from him and he would be sweet and sensitive. Sara would forgive him and suddenly, "oh look, Sophia."  
_I hate him_. Sara pounded her locker in frustration. With rage violent enough to scare the Irish Republican Army, Sara let forth with a barrage of curses and screams, beating her fists into the industrial gray metal of her locker.

Nick Stokes heard the screams from all the way down the hall. Terrified that something was wrong, he burst into the locker room to see Sara beating the shit out of her locker. "Sara." He tried, gingerly moving closer. He could see she wasn't angry so much as confused, hurt, and tired. "Oh, Sara." He put his hand on her shoulder and drew her into his embrace. Not to be deterred, Sara's fists only landed on his chest. _Damn that woman can hit_. Nick thought. Slowly enough though Sara's punches stopped and she let herself be hugged by him. She cried and cried, just letting Nick hold her. When she was finished she wiped her tears.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." She told Nick, motioning to his shirt.  
"Sara, it's water. It'll dry. I want you to tell me what is going on."  
Sara shook her head. "I'm sorry Nick, it's just to personal."  
Nick nodded. "I totally get it. If you need someone to talk to, call me anytime. You know I'm always here for you, right?"  
Sara nodded. "Yeah. I really appreciate it."  
"Hey, don't even think about it. It's what friends do, right?"  
"Right." Sara whispered.

Sleep. _Ha!_ Sara's brain laughed. _What, you thought you'd **actually** be able to fall asleep tonight. Right. Geez Sara, I thought you went to Harvard. _Sara shifted onto her side, willing the voice to go away.  
No dice. _Admit it Sara, Grissom doesn't want you. He wants a puppet. You think you love him. You tell yourself you couldn't hate him this much if you weren't so goddamned in love with him. I got news for you bubbeleh. It ain't true. You could totally hate Grissom this much without loving him. But go ahead. Be miserable. Keep going after Grissom. You'll just end up hurting the few people who care about you._ And with that, Sara's inner voice disappeared, leaving her to her restless sleep.

Sara's mother always told her that a dream represented something else. Sara was pretty sure this dream was self-explanatory.

_Grissom was punching a little clown on springs with Sara's face on it. The clown Sara popped back up over and over and over again. Slowly the clown Sara lost it's spring. It came back slower and slower. Eventually the clown Sara stopped. Grissom stared at the puppet for a few minutes until – WHAMMO! The clown Sara's head whacked it's forehead into Grissom's, hopped off his desk, and bounced out the door._

_ I have **got** to stop having coffee before bed_. Sara reflected on her dream. It was obvious. Grissom kept pushing her away. She came back every time, but slower. Eventually she had to stop. And then, whammo, she had to crack Grissom one in the forehead. Sara had done the slowing down thing. Even Grissom's kindness after her near DUI hadn't been enough. His concerned attitude wasn't good enough anymore.His sweet – and totally random – comments weren't enough anymore.  
It was time to smack Grissom's forehead.

The plan was simple. The emotions, less so. Sara was sick to her stomach with what she planned to do. Nick was such a nice guy and Sara was going to be the biggest bitch ever. Sara couldn't believe herself.  
The plan? Get Nick. She knew he wanted her. The gazes, the flirting, the exceptionally caring attitude…it all added up. So Nick it was. She would flaunt her relationship with Nick in front of Grissom and then when Grissom took his step forward in their stupid waltz, Sara would this time have him. She and Nick would eventually "get serious" and that's when Grissom would make his move. Some grand, dramatic gesture meant to hook Sara and reel her in. Sara would leave Nick for Grissom. She'd wait until Grissom was too far in and then she'd push him away. Leave him. Give him a taste of his own medicine.

Oh yeah, and get the Hell out of Las Vegas.

**A/N**: Soooooo, what do you think? Should I be burned alive at the stake for writing such horrible crap or should I keep going? Reviews! Reviews! I also would love input! What would you guys like to see? I have some ideas, but feedback and suggestions are always welcomed. However, flames will be used to roast marshmallows and set of firecrackers on New Year's Eve!

-Anna


	2. Step One

**A/N**: Alright, alright! I got the best reviews ever. You guys sure know how to make a girl happy. I couldn't stop smiling for an hour after I got those reviews! I promise that this is a Snicker story. The Grissom-Sara stuff is only in there for plot purposes. Seriously, I just don't even see Grissom and Sara together. He's like her big scary dad that sits on the porch cleaning a shot gun when they boys come to take her out. Anyway, enough of my nonsensical tirade.

**Chapter Two: Step One**

"Hey Nick." Sara indelicately dropped onto the couch in the break room.

"Evening Sar." Nick nodded.

Sara lifted her leg and slid up her pants leg, gently massaging her ankle. "So, how was your day?"

"Uneventful." Nick shrugged. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, fine. Just overdid it when I was running the other day." Sara smiled at Nick.

"Why don't you let me have a look at it?" Nick took hold of her foot and rubbed the ligament.

"Mmm, Nicky, that feels good." Sara murmured flexing her foot against the inside of his thigh. She had to work not to grin. Her plan was working perfectly. She could already see Nick's neck getting red. However when she thought of what she intended to do, it was no hardship not to smile. Sara still felt like the wicked witch of the west for how much she was going to hurt Nick. She drew her foot away. "Thanks so much." She gave him a hug and rested her head on his shoulder. "Hey, Nicky, you wanna get some coffee after shift?" She asked.

"Sure." Nick smiled.

* * *

Nick stretched out in his Denali and munched on an Altoid. After four and a half years of waiting for his chance, it seemed that Sara was ready to leave Grissom in the past. Nick respected the guy to the utmost degree and was always in awe of Grissom's genius, but the man had zip in the way of people skills. Sara had been practically throwing herself at him for years and Grissom just tossed her aside like a rag doll. Nick remembered something his mother had told him a long time ago. _"It's the smartest people who do the dumbest things, Nicky. You'd be surprised."_ Nick supposed his mother was right. Taking a deep breath he opened the door to his car and found Sara's apartment. She answered quickly.

* * *

"Hey Nicky, come on in." Sara ushered him inside. "I got movies, coffee, and popcorn." They sat down on the couch and settled in to watch the movies Sara had picked.

Halfway through _Rush Hour_ Sara scooted closer to Nick and pressed her lips to Nick's. Though taken by surprise, Nick was pleased. He guided Sara down on the couch and soon Sara found herself lacking a shirt. In a breathless voice she whispered, "let's take this somewhere else."

* * *

Grissom sat at his desk, quietly considering the events of the past few months. Nick and Sara had begun dating, Warrick had just gotten engaged to a 911 operator he'd been seeing on and off for a year. Catherine spent more time with Lindsey, though Lindsey seemed to prefer Sara's company. Sofia didn't seem to get that he just wasn't interested. Grissom ran his hands through his salt and pepper curls. How many times had he told Sara she deserved a life? How many times had he told her she needed someone her own age? _And now she has a life._ His brain taunted him. _She has a life with Nick. Who happens to be her own age. And he's quite good-looking. A people person. He'll take care of her. He'll make her happy. _And then his inner voice threw the final barb. _You're too late. Way too late._

Coffee. Grissom needed coffee. Coffee would help. He got up from his desk and moved to the break room. _Sludge_. He noted. _I think this might actually be toxic. Probably lethal. At least illegal to serve. I guess I'll get some from the diner_. He left a note on his office door and headed for the parking lot. As he strode towards his Denali he caught sight of Sara with her back pressed against Nick's SUV engaged in what looked like a very French kiss. A ball of fire ignited in the pit of his stomach. How he longed to rip Nick off of Sara, pound his chest, point at Sara and shout, "MINE!"

But Sara wasn't his. She was Nick's. And the worst part was that Sara had offered him hundreds of chances to just _say something_. And being the moron he was, Grissom just sat back and watched. Watched as a chance at a wonderful life with Sara slipped through his fingers and right into Nick's waiting arms.

Grissom was officially convinced. Someone didn't just stop loving somebody. Sara was just toying with him. Two could play that game. He whipped out his cell phone. "Sofia." He spoke into the mouthpiece. "Would you like to get some coffee?"

* * *

Grissom was smart. Sara would give him that much credit. He'd figured out some of her scheme and was obviously wise to the fact Sara was only using Nick. And in a stroke of genius, he hadn't said anything to Nick. _Nick will be all the more pissed off when he finds out if Grissom doesn't tell him_, Sara reasoned. _And he'd take it all out on me. He uses Sofia to try and hurry along my deception to the point where I have to 'fess up_. Sara tapped her fingers on the wheel. Something had to happen and that something had to happen quick. She parked the Denali and entered CSI, her pager beeping. A smile crept over her face when she saw the sender of the message. "Ah, Grissom. Couldn't have asked for better timing."

* * *

Sara knocked on his office door but entered without waiting for his reply. "Hey, whatcha got for me?"

"Sara." Grissom looked at her over his glasses in such a Grissom-esque manner that Sara almost laughed. "I think it's time we had a talk."

Sara nodded. "Sure." She closed the door and sat back down in front of Grissom. "So, what's the what?"

"I think we all know that Nicky isn't really who you want to be with and it's unfair of you to string him along Sara."

"Well, the person I thought I was in love with couldn't commit, y'know. Actually, he couldn't even say that he wanted me. It was kind of sad. Spent a good four and a half years waiting for snow in the Sahara."

Grissom cocked his head. "What?"

"Snow in the Sahara. Snow, that fluffy white stuff caused by moisture freezing in mid-air and falling to the ground. The Sahara, that really hot place in Africa that gets like, zero inches of rain a year."

"No, I meant about the guy you thought you loved. You really thought that he couldn't say that he wanted you?"

"Okay Grissom." Sara leaned forward in her seat. "Let's cut the crap, okay? I came to Vegas for _you._ I thought that maybe there was something between us. I thought that there was a _thing_. No thing, no us, not actually even a you. Kind of just a me in total denial for four and half years. I did the denial thing, the anger thing, the bargaining thing, and I've pretty much come to the acceptance stage. Grissom, I grieved for our total lack of a relationship. I'm done grieving. Now I'm living. Sure, maybe Nicky isn't exactly the guy I saw myself with. But, he's the kind of guy who'll take me out clubbing and we'll have a good time. There will be affection. Probably even love. In fact, I know I love him as a friend, and eventually that will grow in to love as a boyfriend or a husband. What you and I had, this _thing_, is no longer. Finito, finissimo, finished, kaput, done, over with. Okay? Got it? There is no us. There is a you. There is a me. But no us. So just, leave me alone, okay?"

With that speech Sara stood to go.

"Sara, wait."

"I'm done waiting Grissom. Don't you get it? I waited and I waited and I waited. Snow in the Sahara, remember? You've got Sofia. I've got Nick. Can we just leave the past in the past? The horse is dead Grissom. The horse decomposed and they carted it away. You are beating the ground where it lay." She fixed him with a steely gaze. "The past is _gone_ Grissom. Let it die in peace."

"Sara, don't you dare walk away from me, this conversation is not finished."

"Did you not hear me? Are you deaf? Otosclerosis finally get you?" She snarled.

Grissom was stunned. "When did you-"

"Grissom, I've known since the lab blew up. I saw the damn card in your hand. I knew you couldn't hear me half the time. And it runs in your family. Remember, you told me that at that seminar."

"Sara-"

"So, if you're quite finished, I have a case to attend to."

Grissom was in front of her by now. "Actually, I'm not quite finished." He snapped. "I've got a few things to say." And with that, his lips crashed over hers.

**A/N**: RELAX! RELAX! I promised this would be a Snicker story and it WILL BE!!!!! THIS IS ALL JUST FOR PLOT PURPOSES!!!!! I PROMISE. I'M SO SORRY FOR HAVING TO PUT YOU GUYS THROUGH THIS PAIN, BUT GOOD WILL COME OF IT. Please don't' hurt me!


	3. Hitting the fan

A/N: Hi again! I don't really have anything clever or witty to put in my A/N. Um…so…did you know that the Atkins diet has been linked to liver failure?! No, and you probably didn't care either. So I'll just shut the hell up and write now. Oh yeah, I don't own them and Grissom gets kicked in the groin!

Chapter Three: Hitting the fan

Sara let out an anguished protest as Grissom's lips claimed her. She put her hands to his chest to push him away, but Grissom grabbed her wrists. Finally, Sara did the only thing she could think to do. She lifted her knee and connected it solidly with Grissom's groin. Grissom grunted and doubled over.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?" Sara hissed. "What in the Hell was going through your mind?"

"Sara." Grissom gasped. "Look, I know what to do about this. We could maybe go out for breakfast sometime."

Sara stared at Grissom incredulously. "_Maybe go out for breakfast sometime_? Maybe doesn't cut it, Grissom. Maybe isn't even _close_ to cutting it. Christ. See ya later." She turned and breezed out of the room.

"Boy, you obviously screwed something up." Catherine knocked on the door and entered rather than bothering to wait for Grissom to invite her in.

"Catherine…" Grissom put his head in his hands, wishing Catherine would disappear.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you can fix it. It can't be that bad. We couldn't even hear you." She smiled brightly.

"Catherine…" Grissom said a little louder.

"It was professional wasn't it? Sara looked near tears. Sara's only that involved with her work."

"CATHERINE!" Grissom half-shouted. "Leave. Now."

Catherine cocked an eyebrow. "Shit, she really pissed you off."

"_NOW_ Catherine."

His tone shocked Catherine into actually leaving. Greg headed for Grissom's office, nearly bumping into Catherine. "Don't go in there!" Catherine warned Greg. "Whatever it is, I think he's about ready to rip off the head of the next person who walks through that door."

"I will take that under advisement." Greg turned the opposite direction. "Off to find Sara then."

"Not safe either."

Greg rolled his eyes. "Those two. Poor Nicky. I wonder if he knows that Sara isn't in love with him."

Catherine pulled Greg into her office. "What makes you think that Sara isn't in love with Nick?"

"The way she looks at him. It's…affectionate. It's not passionate. And nobody isn't passionate in the first two months of a relationship." He shrugged. "Plus, it's Sara. She doesn't do anything for no reason. Obviously there's something else going on."

Catherine nodded. "Aren't you going to tell Nicky?"

Greg sighed heavily. "I really want to, you know? I mean, Nick is my guy. We're tight. But he what if I'm wrong? What if it causes Nick and Sara to end it and then they're both miserable? I'd feel awful."

"Greg, you gotta tell him. No two ways about it, Nicky's gonna get hurt. And it's going to royally suck if he finds out later rather than sooner."

Greg bit his lip. "I'll tell him. You're right Cath. I can't let Nicky get hurt."

* * *

Sara put her head against the cool metal of her locker and blinked her eyes furiously, trying to keep the tears at bay. _What were you thinking?_ Her mind chastised her. _Grissom just kissed you. Said he knew what to do. What's wrong with you?_

It wasn't what he wanted, she retorted. He just wanted to rein me in, make sure I didn't get too out of control. It wasn't any sort of declaration of love.

_Whatever it was, it was more than you've gotten so far._

The locker room door creaked open.

"Get away from me, Grissom." Sara snarled.

"Sara?" Nick's voice was tentative. "Sara, what's going on?"

Sara didn't want to go to him, she really didn't. Nick was just supposed to be a pawn in her fucked-up game of chess. He wasn't supposed to be someone she found herself falling in love with. She wasn't supposed to scream his name as loudly as she did when they made love. He wasn't supposed to be the guy that Sara started thinking about and caused Sara to smile. Nick wasn't supposed to be any of that. But he was. Nick was the last thing Sara thought about before she went to sleep and the first thing that she thought about when she woke up.

Sara was falling in love with Nick.

And it was bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad. That wasn't part of the plan. This thought caused Sara to cry even harder.

"Oh, Sara." Nick moved to her and wrapped his arms around Sara's shoulders. "Let me take care of you tonight."

Sara couldn't help but compare the two men. Grissom would have shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other and rattled off some meaningless quote. Nick provided a safety net, somewhere for her to fall and just be taken care of when she needed it. She wordlessly followed Nick to his Denali and climbed into the passenger seat. After Nick had pulled out of the parking lot and come to a stop, he started rummaging in the glove compartment for something.

"What are you looking for?" Sara knit her eyebrows.

"This." Nick handed her a CD case. "My niece made this for me. She said it's good crying music. It is too. So, we'll put it in and you can cry, okay?"

Sara nodded and Nick slipped the CD into the player. The first song was an old classic, Hey Jude. Sara started to softly hum the melody. "I always liked this song." She whispered.

"You don't want to talk about it." Nick stated.

Sara shook her head sadly. "I don't…I…I need to sort some stuff out on my own. It was exactly at that moment that Sara realized that the shit was about to hit the fan and it was about to hit it soon. Though it was only fifteen minutes, it seemed like ages until they reached Nick's house. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, Sara bolted out of the car and threw up.

"Sara, are you pregnant?" Nick approached her cautiously.

"No!" Sara's tears were coming back with a vengeance.

"Then what's going on?"

"Please, leave me alone!" Sara tore into the house and locked herself in Nick's guestroom.

Three hours later Sara emerged, looking fresh and bright. "Hey." She said softly to Nick.

"Hi." He replied. "Look, I'm sorry for pushing it. Whatever it is, I'm here, okay?"

Sara nodded. "Could we do something? I mean, just the two of us?"

"Absolutely. What would you like?"

Sara shrugged. "Surprise me."

* * *

"That was the best idea you've ever had!" Sara giggled, skating backwards so that she was holding Nick's hands and skating in front of him. "Where in the _world_ did you find a disco?" 

"Sara, my darling, it's Vegas. You can find anything if you have a phone book."

"Thank you so much, Nick. Honestly, I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"Your eyes say it all." Nick returned.

Sara couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't put Nick through it any longer. It was the time she knew was coming. Had been for a long time. She'd prepared herself for this moment for a month, and still the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. Finally she forced out an awkward,

"Nick…we need to talk."

A/N: UH-OH. DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAMA. I can't tell you what happens other than somebody gets a black eye and someone gets REJECTED.


	4. Forgiveness

A/N: Wow, **Lindy**, you are officially my girl. Your review made me soooooooooooooooooooo happy. I'm so glad that I'm at least entertaining somebody. As per usual, they ain't mine. I _finally_ get a chance to write some Cath-Sara fighting. (Yay!) Catherine pisses me off sometimes. She's so…it reminds me of high school in a fairly unpleasant way on occasion. The opening to this chapter was really hard for me to write, but I hope it got better as it progressed.

Chapter Four: Oh hell, I've run out of chapter names.

The conversation had definitely taken a turn for the worse, Sara decided. Upon hearing her, "we need to talk" Mr. Terminally Optimistic had agreed. They'd driven back to Nick's place where both of them stood in tense silence for a few minutes. Ever the gentleman, Nick offered Sara the opportunity to speak first. Sara shook her head and insisted that Nick say his piece first.

"Sara, I know you know I've loved you for a long time." He started. "And I know that people had their doubts about us because of the whole Grissom thing. I know we've only been going out for a month, but we've been best friends so much longer." He knelt and extracted a ring box from his pocket. "Sara Sicily Sidle, would you marry me?"

Sara's heart seemed to have vacated its spot in her chest and relocated to her feet. In response to Nick's proposal, Sara's stomach had just performed feats a boneless circus freak would have been in awe of.

"I can't." She whispered, and then fled Nick's house.

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For the very first time in her life, Sara Sidle was very seriously faking ill and calling in sick. Actually, come to think of it, she probably didn't have to work very hard to fake it. She felt ninety-eight percent positive she was going to throw up and one hundred percent positive she was going to Hell.

She sat on the break room couch, staring at the wall, as though it held the answers to the mess she'd gotten herself into. Her evening only got better when Cath sailed through the break room door, dropped onto the couch next to Sara and unceremoniously announced "Sara Sidle, you are most certainly the biggest bitch the world has ever known."

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Greg found Warrick at the diner, nursing a cup of coffee. "Warrick, we've got a situation." Greg sighed, sliding into the booth across from Warrick.

"You sounded pretty urgent on the phone. What's up?"

"This is going to sound really horrible and crazy, but…Between Nick and Sara, who would you pick?"

Warrick's jaw dropped. "Sanders, you were right. That is horrible and crazy."

"Warrick, just pick."

"Sara's like my little sister, but Nick is my boy. We've been best friends for going on seven years. That's like asking a guy to pick between his sister and his brother."

"So pick." Greg pushed.

Warrick sighed. "This better not leave the table." Seeing an affirmative nod from Greg, he pursed his lips. "Nick."

"Then you gotta know, Sara's playing him. We gotta do something. She's gonna burn him bad."

"What do you mean, 'Sara's playing him'?" Warrick eyed Greg suspiciously.

"I mean Sara doesn't really love him."

"You're serious?"

"Like a heart attack."

"Man, what the Hell are we doing here? Nick is gonna propose to her tonight. Shit, we gotta stop him before he does something stupid." Warrick threw down a ten, enough to cover the coffee and a generous tip, not even pausing to say goodbye to the waitresses as he and Greg bolted out to the parking lot.

**Two hours earlier **

If Grissom were a smarter man…well, he wouldn't be in the mess he was in now. "Gil, there's something undeniable between us…" She started. "Chemistry, a vibe, you know, a thing. And I think it's high time we act upon it. Now that you and Sara have realized that you two were never a viable option…"

And with that, Grissom snapped. "Catherine, shut up. For once, just shut the fuck up. You and I, never going to happen. Sara and me, that will happen. She doesn't love Nick, and once she realized that we belong together, those two will be Splitsville and Sara and I will be very happy. You don't factor into that equation, Catherine."

Catherine's mouth dangled open. Tears stinging at her eyes, she turned on her heels and stormed out of the room.

**In the present **

"Excuse me?" Sara's head whipped around. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me. You are undoubtedly the biggest bitch in the world."

"Catherine, you need to check that mouth of yours before I check it with my fist." Sara threatened.

"Ever since you came to the lab, you've been nothing but trouble. I was right, Grissom should have left you in San Francisco where you belong."

"Oh, I see what the issue is." Sara stood up. "You're jealous of me. Everyone in the lab wants _me_ Catherine. Your beauty faded. You're what, forty, forty-five? You're nothing but a saggy rack and a prima donna attitude. I mean, let's face it. David, Greg, Bobby D., all the lab techs, most of the guys on days, Nick, and Grissom want me. Who wants you?" And then it dawned on Sara. "You want Grissom. You want Grissom and he wants me."

"Sara, I may be a little older, but let's face it. I'm still twice the woman you'll ever be."

"Yeah." Sara snorted. "You've also had twice the surgery I've had. And all of _yours _has been plastic."

"You little slut, take that back!" Catherine growled, slapping Sara.

Normally, Sara would have felt bad. Today was anything but normal. As Catherine's hand landed on Sara's face, Sara drew back her arm and belted Catherine one in the nose. "There goes your nose job." She taunted. Then she ripped off one of Catherine's fake nails. "Oops, there went a fake nail."

"You whore! Where do you get off implying that I'm a hooker? I'd like to remind you who's the one sleeping with Nick to get to Grissom."

"I'm in love with Nick!" Sara screamed.

Somebody cleared his throat, and it was only then that the two women realized that Grissom had seen the entire fight.

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"Come on, answer the damn door Nick!" Greg muttered urgently, punching the doorbell again.

"I'm coming." As Nick opened the door, Greg and Warrick saw how miserable he was. His face was stained red with tears, tear tracks running in funnels down his face.

"Oh my God, Nick, what happened?" Warrick pushed his way into the living room.

"She said she couldn't." Nick whispered.

"Who said she couldn't?" Warrick narrowed his eyes. "Sara?"

"I asked her to marry me and she ran away. I pushed too hard too fast." Nick laid his head in his hands.

"Oh, Nick." Greg winced. "It's a good thing she didn't say yes."

"How can you say that!" Nick grew enraged. "I loved her with all of my heart. We were perfect together."

Warrick had to do it. He had to tell Nick. "Nick," He started, trying to think of a delicate way to put it, "Sara has a lot of issues. Most of those issues are man issues. She's had a lot of shit to deal with. You remember how tough she took the thing with Gris, the almost DUI…"

"What are you _saying_ Warrick?" Nick glared at his friend.

"She was using you to get to Grissom." Greg interrupted.

"_What_?" Nick's jaw dropped. "But…"

"I'm sorry bro, but it's true." Warrick placed a hand on Nick's shoulders.

"Leave me alone." Nick shrugged the two of them off and retreated to his bedroom.

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Sara didn't even give Grissom time to say anything. She rushed past him and to the parking lot. She had to tell Nick. She was going to tell him everything and hope for the best. Sara raced to Nick's house, praying that no cops aimed a radar gun at her. As she rounded onto Nick's block, big, fat, juicy drops of rain fell from the sky. "Oh great." Sara rolled her eyes. "A movie cliché. Just what I need." She haphazardly parked the Denali in Nick's driveway and ran up the path, banging on his door, tears streaming down her face.

To her surprise, Warrick answered the door. "Sara." His voice was cold. "What do you want?"

"Where's Nick? I have to talk to him." She cried.

"He knows what you did." Warrick's face remained stony. "I can't believe you Sara. I would expect this sort of thing from Cath, these manipulative games. But not you. That was the one thing that always impressed me about you. You didn't play those games, you didn't use other people. But I guess I was wrong about that."

Sara appealed to Greg. "Greg…"

"You _were_ my role model." He replied sadly. "You made me remember what was important about the job. But you screwed over one of my best friends in the worst way possible."

Sara's eyes welled up with tears again. "You have to believe me, I didn't mean for it to turn out like this."

"Things like this never go like they were supposed to, Sara." Nick's emerged from his bedroom, a completely different person from the man Sara knew. His normally soft brown eyes had gone hard, the sparkle in them was dead, and his normally smiling mouth was set in a straight, angry line. "Warrick, Greg, I'll be fine. Sara and I need to talk." His eyes never left hers.

"You sure, man?" Warrick seemed hesitant.

"I'll talk to you later."

Warrick and Greg reluctantly left the two alone.

"Why, Sara?" Nick advanced. "Why would you do that to me?"

"Nick, please, hear me out."

"Go on. I'm interested to hear how you could rationalize this one."

"I was mad at Grissom. Furious. I needed a way to hurt him. I…I turned to you. But then I fell in love with you, and I couldn't bear to leave. My world was so much brighter when we were together. You know?" Her tears seemed to be channeling the pounding rain, coming down in sheets. "But then you proposed, and I realized what I had done. I couldn't marry you with that weighing on my conscience. I had to think about how to tell you, and I knew you'd be furious when you found out, so I ran. Stupid, I know." Shakily, she drew in a deep breath. "But I love you. And I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Nick stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "I can forgive a lot of things, Sara. What I _can't_ forgive is someone who lies. Someone who cheats. Somebody who uses other people for their own sick and twisted ends. So I want you to listen very carefully to me, because I'm only going to say this once. _Get out of my house. Don't ever come back._" With that, he ushered her to the door, practically shoved her over the threshold, and slammed the door.

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Unlocking her Denali, Sara started the engine. She waited for the grinding noise of the engine turning over and warming up before peeling out of Nick's driveway, getting on I-15 northbound, and getting the Hell out of Vegas.

The CD that had been playing on the way to Nick's house was still in the tray and it was only then that Sara realized she had taken Nick's car. Ten minutes later she had reached the outskirts of Vegas and found a secluded spot at Lake Mead. Turning the volume on the stereo up, she finally let loose and screamed in pain, wailing with a force Sara didn't know she possessed.

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Nick grabbed the keys that Sara had left on his kitchen countertop earlier, belatedly realizing that they were to her Denali, rather than his. It didn't matter, he needed a car, any car, for what he was about to do.

Nick had only been to Grissom's house once in the last five years, for the strip strangler case. But he still knew the way perfectly. Ten minutes later, he was pounding on Grissom's door. "Open up!" He bellowed.

Grissom opened his door to reveal a very pissed off Nick. "Nick, what's-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Nick's fist connected solidly with his left eye. "You son of a bitch." He sneered at Grissom. "You arrogant, thick-skulled bastard. You never let her be done with you. You, being the jerk-off that you are, led her around by a string. You warped her. The real Sara never, _ever_ would have played someone like this. I hope you go to Hell, Grissom." With that he turned and stormed back to his car, leaving a very pained Grissom at the front doorstep.

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He loved her, he did. And he wanted to take her back, but he couldn't forgive her. He didn't _want_ to forgive her. She had hurt him in the worst way. But, if when she confessed, she had truly meant what she said about loving him, then he was defenseless.

Because he loved her. With all his heart. It would take time, but maybe he could start to forgive her. First, however, they needed to talk. He called her cell phone, but she didn't pick up. _Sara, where did you go?_ He wondered, tapping his foot against the floor of the car impatiently.

_Quiet_. He immediately thought. Sara would want quiet. Secluded, out of town. _Lake Mead_. Nick pulled a very illegal U-turn across Fremont Avenue and headed for I-15.

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Sara's sobs had more or less begun to ebb as time wore on. Norah Jones' 'Don't Know Why I Didn't Come' wasn't helping, but Nick was right, this was good music to cry to. She was startled by a sharp rap on her window, and even more flabbergasted when she realized it was Nick. Quickly she rolled down the window.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hey." His voice was equally low. "What you did was awful."

"I know." She swallowed. "I know. I understand why you never want to see me again. Don't worry. I'm packing my bags as soon as I get home and going back to San Francisco."

"Sara, did you mean what you said about loving me?"

Sara nodded. "With every fiber of my being." It was only then that she realized that Nick was outside, getting very soaked while she was inside her very warm Denali. She stepped out of the SUV, standing across from Nick. Within seconds she was soaked too. "Nick, I hate the fact that I've caused you so much pain. I know that by all rights, you shouldn't even be here right now. That's one of the things I love about you, that you have such a loving heart. And I don't deserve it." The tears had returned. Sara was half-amazed she had any more tears left to cry. Apparently though, she did. "Can you forgive me Nick? Will you take me back?"

Nick sighed heavily. "Sara, I –" And then he gave his answer.

A/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I KNOW. I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON FOR LEAVING IT RIGHT THERE. AND FOR NOT GETTING THIS CHAPTER UP SOON. The next chapter will probably be a _little_ less angsty. Sorry to put you guys through this.


	5. THE FINAL CHAPTER

A/N: **Lindy**, completely rock my world for giving me the best reviews ever! I know, you're probably ready to strangle me for not posting sooner…so without further delay, here is the last (probably) installment of my little drama-rama. Oh, and the lyrics are to Kelly Clarkson's 'The trouble with love'

Chapter Five

"I…I…" Nick couldn't find the words.

"It's okay, I understand." Sara wiped the tears and turned to get back in her Denali.

"No, Sara." Nick expelled a quick breath. "I love you. With all my heart. And well it absolutely infuriates me that you did this, I can't ignore my heart. I'll take you back, under one condition."

Sara stared at him, tears pooling in her eyes. Without even hearing his condition, she replied, "Okay."

"No more of this crap. No more games. We have to be straightforward with each other. Can you accept that? No secrets, no lies?"

Tears pouring down her cheeks with a vengeance now, Sara nodded and threw her arms around Nick, pressing her lips to his.

They were both soaked and cold, but it didn't matter at that point. The kiss they shared wasn't soft and sweet, so much as remorseful, an apology of sorts. Finally they broke away and Sara's breath hitched in a half-laugh. "Let's go home Nick." She pleaded.

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Catherine pounded furiously on Grissom's door. Oh, the tongue-lashing he'd given her when he saw the fight between her and Sara made her blood boil. Of course his perfect little _Sara_ didn't even get reprimanded at all. "Grissom, open up!" She yelled. "I know you're in there!" Catherine angrily rummaged in her purse, searching for the extra key Grissom had given her in an emergency. She finally found the little hunk of metal and jammed it into the lock. With a quick turn, the tumblers clicked into place and Grissom's door swung wide open. "Why are you hiding, Grissom?" She shouted. "I'm going to find you – oof!" Catherine had tripped over something. She looked down to see that she had lost her footing over Grissom. Catherine screamed bloody murder when she saw Grissom's black eye and split lip. "Grissom…" She muttered, shaking him.

Slowly, Grissom roused. "Cath…" He murmured sleepily.

"Oh my God, Grissom. What the Hell happened?"

"Nick." Grissom's voice was slurred as though he were drunk.

"What? Nick did this?" Cath was thoroughly confused. "But Nick doesn't hit people."

"He…I…said I corrupted her…Sara." Grissom clarified.

"What? You didn't corrupt Sara? She was just unleashing her inner – or not so inner – bitch."

"Why…you are here?"

Catherine tried to make sense of this jumble of words. "Why am I here? You and I need to talk."

"Catherine." Grissom started patiently. "There is nothing to say. You and Sara should not have been fighting." Grissom had finally regained total consciousness. "I am sorry I hurt you, but you should not have taken it out on Sara. It's not her fault."

"Grissom, this is a big mess, and I'd say a good ninety percent of it is your fault." Catherine handed him a glass of water. "So you should probably try to fix it."

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Nick reasoned that the only way for them to solve their problems was to talk it out, so there Nick and Sara were, seated on the couch, discussing the past few weeks.

"Sara, it upsets me that you used me." Nick started calmly. "However, I do recognize that Grissom has been playing mind games with you for a long time and has probably warped you a little."

"Don't blame Grissom for this." Sara shook her head. "But I really was telling the truth when I said that I love you. Nick, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." The room was silent for a few seconds before Sara opened her mouth again, this time music, rather than words, emerging.

**The trouble with love is**

**It can tear you up inside**

**Make your heart believe a lie**

**It's stronger than your pride**

**Now I was once a fool, it's true**

**Played the game by all the rules**

**But now the world's a deeper blue**

**I'm sadder, but I'm wiser too.**

**The trouble with love is **

**It doesn't care how fast you fall**

**And you can't refuse the call**

**See you got no say at all**

**It seems no matter what I do**

**It tears my heart in two**

Sara's voice drifted off. "I don't know if I can say it any better than that."

"I think I get what you're trying to say." Nick took Sara's hand. "God, I can't believe I'm going to do this again. Please, Sara, don't run away." Nick took a deep breath.

"After all the shit we've been through together, you and I deserve a little happiness. Sara Sicily Sidle, will you marry me?"

"I don't think you're supposed to use the word 'shit' in a marriage proposal." Sara laughed.

"Sara." Nick growled.

"Yes!" She shouted. "Yes, yes, yes! I'll marry you!"

Nick picked her up and spun her around.

**Epilogue** (sort of, I guess)

Sara Stokes was officially a mother of twins. There lay her beautiful baby daughters Lindsay Michelle and Brooklynn Cheyenne Stokes. "They're gorgeous." Nick held Sara's hand.

"They're half yours." Sara smiled up at him. "Feel free to hold one."

Nick delicately picked up Stephanie. "She's so tiny."

"You expected a giant? She'll get bigger Nicky." Sara's smile widened.

"How long before we have more?" Nick looked excited.

Sara's wide grin softened into a tiny smirk as she played with Brooklynn's tiny feet. "Gimme a chance to catch my breath and then we'll talk."

"Oh, I plan on doing a lot more than talking."

A/N: Okay, so…that's it. I dunno, maybe I'll do some sort of a sequel about them in the future with the girls more grown up. ::shrug:: post a review with your thoughts. (in case you didn't get it, that was a NOT SO SUBTLE request for reviews.)


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